We've always had success with Priceline. But now I've gotten to a point where I like one specific chain so it makes me act differently about how I find a place to stay.

We are going to san diego next week to wring as much zoo out of our zoo membership as possible.

So we have a playdate scheduled for tomorrow. The plan is to pick the kid up by 12:30, lunch them come to our place. Normally they'd play for 4-5 hours and I'd take the kid back at 6, but that is when the storm is supposed to be in full swing. And getting him back to his place involves a walk and then train and a LONG walk for his mom. I guess I will just watch the windows and cut it short if it starts getting bad.

We have a lot of people in different offices and no widespread use of IM. And there are just times I don't want to wait for email, and some people for whom it can be a long wait. Of course there's no reason anyone has to answer their phone either...but it wouldn't hurt to think they pay attention to voicemail.

Funny hotel name on Dollhouse.

We have a lot of people in different offices and no widespread use of IM. And there are just times I don't want to wait for email, and some people for whom it can be a long wait. Of course there's no reason anyone has to answer their phone either...but it wouldn't hurt to think they pay attention to voicemail.

We have a lot of people who don't like phones, apparently.

Seriously, I get maybe 3-4 calls in a month, and that's if it's busy.

I don't get that many calls. The people who need info from me sit within feet. But I need to pin east coast people down quite a bit.

Plus a ton of phone conferences. Do they not happen in your culture? We have very few meetings set up without a dialup and LiveMeeting option.

If I am going to be out of the office entirely, I put a message on voice mail, put an out of office email, and put a note on my door saying I'm not there (or have one of the secretaries put one up for me if I am out unexpectedly).

If I am in the SF office, the door note is up and the voice mail is on, so that people don't email me and say "I just left something on your chair you need to do right away". Again.

Plus a ton of phone conferences. Do they not happen in your culture? We have very few meetings set up without a dialup and LiveMeeting option.

Rarely. I'll dial into meetings when I'm stuck at home, and on rare occasions if they're cross-campus and I have one in a different building right before that, but they're far less productive than meetings when you're there in the room.

Snowpocalypse has commenced in B'more. Batten the hatches.

Looks like there's about an inch of so of snow here in DC so far.

It looks like two feet of snow here (Western Virginia) (not West Virginia) (although it's probably there too). Stray Cat is still doing her usual taunt-Leo-from-the-patio, so I guess she's okay.

How does one tip one's garbagemen? Taping an envelope to the top of the trash bin seems ridic. Can I just mail it to them c/o the disposal company which has kindly provided their names?

Goat Eye Syndrome is characterized by eyes afflicted with horrific horizontal pupils

Now that didn't bother me, but this:

There are other ungulates, such as antelopes (fairly closely related to goats) whose eyes have horizontal pupils, and they actually swivel in the sockets to stay horizontal even when the animal puts its head down to graze.

swivel in the sockets? Aaaaaahhhhh!

In my family, the nativity scene is a moving thing -- at this point, no one's near the manger except for the donkey, and Jesus isn't there. Everyone moves toward their spots, with M&J getting there Christmas Eve, the baby showing up that night, and the Wise Men still travelling through the 12 days.

Jesse, that's wonderful.

We didn't get to go to the team lunch or the office lunch, because the vendors were in and we were squeezing and working through lunch. Which, illegal, but I do it most days anyway.

Working through lunch hour is illegal?

Speaking of Out of Office, please update your voicemail, people,

Have never seen OOO used. They put in a new phone system after I left, and didn't tell me how it works. Though I've asked, several times, it's been a year and my boss has yet to realize that I have 75 messages because she hasn't sent me the documentation. I've just taken my phone number out of my email signature. I don't want calls anyway.

Potatoes are the holy spirit, transcendant and everywhere (on my thighs). Cheese is the Almighty, making everything better. I guess that means Bacon is the Savior.

I am intrigued by this bacony religion and I would like to subscribe to your newsletter, Connie.